JAZ

Hash browns, or other fried potatoes?

A few more thoughts: Books: If your friend is cooking only or primarily for himself, keep in mind that all the recipes in How to Cook Without a Book are for four to six servings. I'd definitely have him check it out online before purchasing it -- it's a bit idiosyncratic (I'm not a fan, but it gets decent reveiws). If he is going to be cooking for one, he might like Solo Suppers by Joyce Goldstein better. And if he's a complete novice, he might find Now You're Cooking helpful. You seem to be missing some essential gadgets -- mixing bowls, for one. That Pyrex set seems to be overkill to me, especially if storage space is an issue. Finally, I know lots of people like the Swing-a-way can openers, but I find that the newer safety openers (Zyliss, Oxo or Rosle) are a vast improvement. Yes, they're more expensive, but they're safer and more hygenic. If your friend is going to open more than a can a week, the upgrade is worth it.

Is chicken flesh fully cooked at 140F? From my experience, it seems that a thigh at 140 would be unpleasantly undercooked.

You must not have realized that you linked to a miniature whisk set -- the largest one is only about 4 inches long, including the handle, with the actual whisk part being about 1.5 inches. Here's a real set, if you think your friend needs more than one: Norpro whisk set of three or a single if he only needs one: Oxo whisk

There's a brand new book dedicated to the Big Green Egg, titled (not surprisingly), The Big Green Egg Cookbook. Oddly, it's not on Amazon, but that link will take you to several vendors.

I've always made the biscuit-style boiled dumpling version of C&D, although the last time I made the dish, I altered a few things, and ended up with something very similar to what Chris Hennes made above (here). The big difference between my chicken and dumplings and everyone else's seems to be that I almost never start with raw chicken and make stock specifically for the dish. For me, it's a way to use leftover cooked chicken, so I use pre-made stock (which I generally have in the freezer) and just throw in some vegetables and the leftover chicken. The only part that's at all time consuming is to make a bit of dumpling batter and add it. Since I'm usually cooking just for myself, I make enough for one dinner, with a portion left over for lunch the next day.

To each his own, but I dislike orange blossom water so much in anything that if someone served me a margarita made with it, I couldn't drink it.

I do not like any flowers or flower-based extracts in my food or drink. No lavender with duck; no rosewater sorbet; no orange blossom water in ANYthing. Flowers belong in vases or perfumed soap, not in food.

I have three cats. Mice and lizards don't last long, if they even dare to show their little heads. As far as insects go, I'm not ruling it out, but it seems strange that only the coriander was affected.

That's a big dichotomy. I have to admit that when Dave the Cook invited me over for Chicken & Dumplings and proposed using the Donald Link recipe, I was very skeptical. My first thought was that if dumplings weren't boiled/steamed, they weren't dumplings. I said it was chicken and biscuits, which is something my college dorm used to make (yeah, it was about as good as you'd expect.) Having tasted the Link recipe, though, I'll say that a) it was great and b) it's definitely chicken and dumplings. Unlike the Ruhlman recipe, I don't think quotation marks are necessary -- although Sam might disagree. On the other hand, I also like the plainer, boiled, non-crisp type.

So I guess I'm still not clear on what you can do with this app. If I need, say, 1/2 cup of hollandaise, can the app tell me the amounts of the ingredients I'll need for that 1/2 cup? Or if I want to make 12 eclairs, can it tell me the amount of the ingredients for that volume of choux? That would be great and really helpful. On the other hand, if I need to have one of the variables to plug in, it doesn't seem nearly as helpful. I can just use a calculator.

Last week I had to make lamb curry for 30 students and staff, so I needed a lot of ground coriander. I used all the preground spice I had and then discovered that I didn't have any seeds to grind fresh. Then I remembered an Indian spice kit I'd gotten a few years ago. I'd gone through it and used most of the ground spices and some of the whole, but just kept the rest of it around in case I ever needed, say, ajwain or white poppy seeds. I thought I might have had a packet of coriander seeds left in it, so I got it out of the cabinet. No seeds. But as I was looking though the packets I noticed spilled powder in the box just as I spied a packet of ground coriander. This is what I pulled out. At first I thought insects, but it was the only packet that was affected. I didn't use the coriander -- even if it was okay, it was way too old, but now I'm wondering what caused that. Does coriander contain something that eats into plastic? Any ideas?

I don't think all of that is necessary, Chris. Most biscuit-style dumpling recipes I've used call for liquid fat --either oil or melted butter, mixed in with the wet ingredients. And I've always used AP flour. The best dumplings I've made were from recipes that call for egg, but I'm not sure that the egg is the reason they turned out so well. Two things I'd recommend are not to add too much liquid (you want the dough to be very stiff) and to cook them longer than you think you should -- 20 to 25 minutes, regardless of what your recipe says.

I used to love Wheat Thins. Recently I bought a box for the first time in years. They were unbearably sweet and odd-tasting. On the other hand, I still love Triscuits.

If it's a brunch, definitely serve coffee. And don't forget real sugar; some people still use it. Also, a small insulated pitcher is your best bet for keeping cream/milk cold.

Sorry for the late reply. I think there are several avenues available in this situation. If you're in a local or regular bar (or one that might become a regular), it's probably worth engaging the bartender in a brief, friendly conversation (when he or she is not busy, of course) about how the bar makes Gimlets. If you ask how they make Gimlets, and the proportions aren't to your liking, it would probably be a simple thing to say, "oh, do you think you could make one with lots of fresh lime and just a splash of Rose's?" If you're going to be drinking there often, it's definitely worth the conversation. If it's not a place where you feel comfortable with such a conversation, I don't think it would be out of place to order a "Gimlet, with half fresh lime and half Rose's." That is, if they seem to be squeezing citrus fresh for drinks. In the worst case dive bar scenario (which, believe me, I've been in), I used to order gin on the rocks with a splash of Rose's and then ask for a napkin full of lime wedges. Not ideal, but not a bad drink.

If you haven't read my eGCI class on menu planning, you might find it helpful. In my experience teaching, beginning cooks tend to concentrate on flavors so much that they forget about texture. It's important not only to pick flavors that go together, but also to match textures so that you have some contrast.

Sometimes, though, there's an element of a dish that pretty much has to be added right before service, such as gremolata on osso buco. Sure, you could serve the osso buco without it, but it adds a fresh note and some acid to the rich dish that couldn't be added in the cooking process. Also, crunchy elements like crisp bacon or toasted nuts often work much better added right before serving, so they don't get soggy. It's not about correcting the flavors, it's about adding a necessary layer of flavor or texture that can't, for various reasons, be done in advance.

I tend to reach for the smallest possible knife to do the job at hand. Since I usually cook for one, this means that I use a 6-inch chef's knife more often than an 8-inch. My Ken Onion 5-inch utility knife gets a lot of use as well. Finally, I grab a ceramic knife for citrus fruit for cocktails, so I don't have to worry about the acid on metal blades.

For two (depending on your appetites), I'd use two medium Yukon Gold potatoes (maybe 1/4 lb. total), peeled and sliced fairly thin (not potato chip thin; more like 1/8 inch). I start them on the stove and finish in the oven, but I'm sure you could do them start to finish in the oven if that's the method you're used to. I put the slices in a small saucepan and barely cover with cream or half-and half (1/4 to 1/3 cup). Add a smashed clove of garlic and if I have a sprig of thyme or rosemary, I add that too. Simmer for 15 minutes or so -- they should be barely cooked through, not falling apart. During the last minute or two I stir in a chopped green onion as well, but you could leave that out. Pour the potatoes into a small buttered baking dish (fish out the garlic and herbs first.) The cream has usually reduced about the right amount by this time, but if you have more than you need, don't add it all. Top with Gruyere or buttered panko. The crucial piece of equipment is a small gratin dish. I have a couple of oval Emile Henry dishes that are about 8 inches at the longest point and 5 inches across; they're great for a serving for two.

Oh, but we love Munchos. Nothing shameful there.

Oddly, considering it's Dave and Nils from Cooking Issues, they don't seem to have done a complete job of testing all the variables. What happens, for instance, if you soak mushrooms, but then don't crowd them in the pan? Or don't soak them, but do crowd them? That is, with two variables (soaking and crowding) don't you need four tests instead of two?

I hate stinky cheese: all blue cheese makes me gag, and goat and sheep's milk cheese remind me of a petting zoo. Those expensive, runny French cheeses? Old gym socks. I sometimes braise meat at high temperatures, with the lid off. Not only does roasted cauliflower not taste like french fries, it's simply not very good.

What you said is that it's wrong for any of Keller's books to be on this list. That is not a fact; it's an opinion. Since none of us have any way of getting inside anyone else's mind, we have no basis for claiming to know what can or can't disappoint other people. Maybe a person didn't know what to expect from a book by Keller, but so what? He or she can still be disappointed.

We made osso buco using the recipe from Boulevard, which calls for a relish of lemon segments, parsley, shallots and pine nuts to replace the usual gremolata. The little bits of lemon were a revelation with the rich meat.